The present invention relates to password protection to control access to a computer and particularly to a method and apparatus usable when the user has forgotten the password.
Password protection schemes are commonly employed to control access to computer systems. In such schemes, only authorized computer users are assigned a password. Each time the user wishes to use the computer he must first enter his/her password. If the computer recognizes the password as valid, the user will be permitted to access the data and/or execute the programs stored therein. Persons not entering a valid password are unable to access the data or program information. In this way, a password protection system protects the proprietary or confidential information retained by the computer and prevents unauthorized use.
To maintain the integrity of the password protection system, however, authorized users are commonly instructed to refrain from writing or otherwise permanently recording their passwords. This procedure prevents unauthorized users from obtaining a valid password and accessing the computer. This procedure necessarily requires that an authorized user memorize his/her password.
If the authorized user forgets the assigned password, he/she cannot use the computer. In large computer systems a systems supervisor typically maintains operation of the computer. In the event of a forgotten password, the systems supervisor can verify the user's identify, issue a new password to the authorized user and eradicate the old, forgotten, password from computer memory.
For single user computers such as personal computers (PCs) and laptop computers, the password is typically set by the user. No systems operating personnel are available to assist in accessing the computer once the password is lost or forgotten. A forgotten or unusable password renders such a computer useless. To restore use, service center repair personnel would require physical access to the computer to either physically reorder the computer memory and software or to power down the chip containing the password information. A forgetful user would thus incur a shipping expense, a repair bill, and the loss of the computer for an extended period. These operational constraints made password protection infeasible or impractical for PCs or lap top computers in the past; and users were denied the security benefits of such a protection system.